The use of fender or mud flaps on vehicles is well known in the art. The use of such devices is not only to protect the vehicle upon which the same is mounted but also to protect against material being thrown rearwardly such that it may strike other vehicles following therebehind.
To the best of applicant's knowledge, the prior art discloses various flexible fender flaps which are provided of a resilient material and also provides flexible flaps which include hinging means between selected portions of the flap such that the same provides a lower section that is relatively moveable with respect to the upper, attached section. With the exposure to rocks, mud and other deteriorating materials, applicant has found that the flexible material devices are relatively short lived and has also found that the hinging mechanisms, due to the construction of the hinge, is also short lived.
With the invention as disclosed herein, applicant provides a hinged fender flap mechanism which includes a formed, pivot receiving portion, which portion includes an interlocking arrangement between the portions of the mechanism such that each element thereof includes a selected pivot receiving area and that the pivot element received therein provides the joinder between the flap elements.
It is therefore an object of applicant's invention to provide a fender flap mechanism which includes a pair of pivotally joined elements which elements permit movement of the elements in two directions from a normally aligned relation.
It is therefore a further object of applicant's invention to provide a fender flap mechanism which includes a formed, pivot receiving portion designed to provide a housing for the pivotal element and which housing provides an area of a substantially different shape from the pivot element to allow a certain degree of operational latitude between the pivotal element and the flap elements.
It is yet a further object of applicant's invention to provide a normally biased, hinged fender flap or protective guard mechanism for use on wheeled vehicles, which biasing element permits shifting the sections of the hinged flap in either direction from a normal aligned relation and which biasing element will exert a force on the sections to bring the same into aligned relation.